Tracing back to history, it is only in the 20th century that "Adolescence" was known as a phase of life. Before Stanley Hall "discovers" this developmental phase which is now called adolescence, it was merely referred to as the age between childhood and adulthood.

As the meaning of the word adolescence "to grow up" signifies, physical growth and psychological changes occur in this transitory period of teenage life. Generally, adolescents are those persons whose ages are 13-19. However, heredity and environment once again influenced puberty, the period in which a person's mental and physical changes are in its rapid growth. For the girls, puberty starts as early as 10 years of age while the boys begin to change their voice and height at age 12. Later studies show that puberty onsets much earlier or younger than the average age.

Physiological changes are different for boys and girls: for boys, the emphatic sign of puberty is the first ejaculation; and for the girls, the menarche, or the start of menstruation. These changes mean they are now in a very delicate and vulnerable stage. Puberty signals the beginning of reproduction process which will later on enable the hormones to meet the sexual maturation, meaning, the young adults' reproductive organs are ready to reproduce or to have a child. Changes in height, voice, body and other physical characteristics although important, become secondary to the major changes mentioned above.

These changes in adolescents led to:

• Mood swings-the physical changes are effects of the internal changes of the body and these all affect the mental and emotional state of the individual. Adolescents tend to be confused and the confusions if not explained by the parent or the teacher will create negative feelings and will reflect in actions and speech of the adolescent. These emotions find an outlet in any way.
• Develop unusual eating habits. Adolescents are always hungry. It is because of the rapid growth and changes physiologically that their energy is spent faster thus; they need to replenish it.
• Increase self-consciousness. Change of voice (boys), body changes (chest and hips for girls), pimples, oily face, etc.
• Sexual awareness-the hormonal production during puberty creates this "awakening" of attraction or basic sexual urges of developing young adults to the opposite sex.  Here, the appropriate guidance is a must because the feelings of adolescents tend to be intense especially in relationships with opposite sex.

Adolescence stage is an awkward, delicate and confused stage. Adolescents are idealistic, emotional, and very vulnerable that's why; parental guidance is always advised in everything the adolescents do. Parents, to be good advisers and counselors, must understand the why's and how's of an adolescent. Parents should be the first to educate their children about this stage so that the child will understand that the changes in his body and emotions are but normal for this particular phase of their life.

Parents and adolescents should bridge this vital transitory period hand-in-hand, and surpass this difficult and complex stage successfully. "Hold me while you let me go."